Ballroom Dancing-Bud Walters

He rode out our ""bumps in the road"". My husband and I cannot express how wonderful Bud was to us! Our lessons were fun and exciting! EVERYONE at our wedding was FLOORED with how beautiful our first dance was! We are so glad we hired a videographer to catch it on film :-) Bud was able to work with our crazy schedule and we found him to be very affordable, especially compared to other vendors in his field. If you are looking for bang-for-your-buck, you will find it with Bud! I will never forget how kind he was to us. My husband and I had a little pre-marital, wedding stress induced argument before our lesson and had to cancel until we could both cool off and regroup. Bud was very understanding. He was just concerned that my husband and I focused on working things out, and he said he would worry about getting us in for our last lesson. You don't find people like Bud everyday. He is an expert in his field and a class act! more

We sought out Bud's services because my fiancé and I were in desperate need of dance lessons leading up to our wedding. We initially heard about Bud through positive reviews we found on various wedding websites, and we are SO glad we went to him as he made our wedding dance ah-mazing! His extensive experience, expertise, and relaxed and friendly approach made my fiancé and I feel totally comfortable and Bud was able to do wonders with our dancing skills, which were non- existent prior to meeting him, in only 3 lessons!! I would highly recommend Bud to anyone wishing to learn or improve their dancing skills. The whole experience was a blast...we would do it all over again if we could. more

I called Bud about a month before my wedding to ask about lessons, we had heard he was the best in town. Even though he was booked till August, he carved out 3 hours for us. Neither I nor my fiance knew how to dance but in those 3 hours Bud taught us how to dance to the song we had picked for our first dance. He is patient, funny, very professional, and put both of us at ease. The lessons are private, in his home studio. We practiced at home and are still doing so, getting better and better each day. Bud, we couldn't have done it without you! I would recommend him to anyone, anytime. more

Bud taught us how to dance the foxtrot for our dance, and swing - so we could enjoy our big band. Neither of us could dance very well, so we signed up for a package at a local studio. However, after three weeks of private and group lessons we still didn't know what to do on the dance floor: we had tried a dozen different dances, but we could only walk the studio's perimeter doing our basic step, which neither looked nor felt right. At this point we started looking for alternatives - which is when we found Bud. After one hour with Bud - just one hour - we could dance. Based on our experience with the other studio, here's our take on why Bud's classes where so much more effective. 1) We got full one-hour lessons - i.e., 60 minutes, no breaks (not 45 minutes as in the other studio) 2) These were private classes: we were the only couple in the studio, we practiced to our music, and we had the complete attention of our instructor - non-stop. 3) We received instruction. There was no ""just dancing"" or practicing one move over and over again - Bud was on us all the time, stopping us, correcting, explaining , having us try a move, then explaining again, refining it, etc. We practiced at home - not during the class; during the class we learned what seemed like a lot - much more than we had expected. 4) Bud explained the little details which seemed to have made a big difference in how we danced. Where and how to place your hand, keep the fingers together to make the hand look smaller, keep the shoulders straight, etc, etc. - the tiny things we never heard of, and which made us look so much better and feel so much better once we learned them. UPDATE: Dana - the reviewer from 9/24 - is quite right about walking on and off the dance floor: Bud taught us how to do it both gracefully and naturally, which looked so much better than a ""staged"" walk. 5) In our opinion, Bud is not only diligent in his instruction - he is also a very good teacher. He can explain very well, and he made us feel comfortable about everything we did - without flattering us with empty compliments (like they did in the other studio). When he complimented us - we knew he meant it; he also smiled and laughed, and the whole class was such a delightful experience! 6) Last but not least, there was no pressure to purchase more packages - because there are none! It was just our upcoming wedding, and it seemed that Bud wanted to teach us what we needed to know in as few classes as possible: at the end - believe it or not - we were the ones insisting on one more class or two! CONCLUSION. After only six classes we had learned enough foxtrot to look glamorous (and we did!); we also learned swing well enough to enjoy our big band. In fact, we could've pulled it off after just one or two classes with Bud! We are not very good dancers, but we felt very comfortable and relaxed dancing at our wedding - and, judging by the video, we looked wonderful on the dance floor! All thanks to Bud! *Disclaimer: we have posted this review to a couple wedding sites and google. Sorry for the duplication! more

Wow! What a great experience dancing with Bud was! My fiance and I came to Bud with no dancing experience. He asked us at our first lesson to show him how we danced and we did the typical stand-in-one place and turn dance. We wanted something more for our wedding. Bud provided just that. I was very nervous going into the lessons but Bud eased my fears with his humor and kind heart. We left (after only 3 lessons) feeling prepared and ready to dance at our wedding! We would not trust anyone else with our first dance and would recomment Bud to all! more

My fiance and I wanted to learn the basics of ballroom dancing in preparation for our wedding dance. I had no experience and was apprehensive about taking a group class. Bud put my fears to rest immediately with his warmth and humor. He was able to simplify the instruction so that even as a novice I was dancing pretty gracefully in only an hour. I feel very prepared for our big day, and we had so much fun we're going to continue taking lessons!! We had a great experience and would recommend Bud to anyone. more

I just recently had my first private dance lesson ever with Bud. My fiancee and I wanted to learn proper ballroom dancing for our first dance together and heard Bud was the best teacher in town. Bud certainly didn't disappoint. I walked in knowing absolutely nothing and after only one hour with him we walked out feeling confident that we would look great on the dance floor. Pros: Personable, patient, easy to follow instructions more

Last week I took my Chicago daughter and her fiance to Bud's studio for their first ""wedding dance"" lesson and we were stunned, then thrilled and finally, enormously relieved at the progress he made with them in just one hour. That wedding ""first dance"" can be challenging, but Bud is making it easily attainable...and fun to boot! His teaching skills rival those of my own middle school colleagues as he immediately put them at ease, patiently led them through the instruction, encouraged their progress, kindly sorted out their missteps, and generously praised their accomplishments.They could have chosen from any number of instructors in the Windy City where they reside, but we listened to the local recommendations and chose Cincinnati's finest. When ""their song"" begins on the night they are wed, they'll be confident and thrilled to show off their newly acquired skills. Bud is.....simply the best. Pros: one on one instruction is superb; was willing to meet on a Sunday and give up his personal time!!!! Cons: none more

Bud Walters is a spectacular dance teacher. My fiancee and I didn't know anything about dancing let alone swing dancing but Bud didn't even bat an eye. He had tons of patients and made sure we both felt comfortable with the moves. I highly recommend Bud Walters...he will be a part of my wedding we will always remember!! Pros: one on one lessons and a pace you can follow!! more

This was my first experience with any kind of dance lessons and I was very surprised. I have three left feet and my fiance was only humoring me by going. We felt that at least Bud could help us to look competent. After 10 minutes I was hooked. Bud broke the dance down in parts and made me feel like I could learn this in no time, my fiance of course was dancing in minutes. When I called my parents to tell them how excited I was my mom suggested that I take my father so that our dance would be special. Bud made an appointment for us on a weekend day when he usually doesn't teach so that my dad could look good too. Our dance was so spectacular that I cannot begin to tell you how many compliments that we received. I only wish that we had thought to invite Bud so that he could have received his due accolades. We made such an impression that my parents are now taking lessons so that they can dazzle everyone on an upcoming cruise. If you are considering a special dance for your special day this is the place to go. No pressure for more lessons or more money, just a relaxed lesson at our speed. We thought that it might take five or six lessons, Bud said I think we can do this in two maybe three if you really have three left feet. I only took two and one with my dad. We made a smooth entrance and exit off of the floor. There was not a dry eye in the house when my father and I finished our dance to a song that Bud recommended it was not one that I had heard but was perfect none the less. I cannot recommend Ballroom Dancing by Bud Walters enough we both enjoyed it and my parents continue to do so. Pros: Private, Personal, Fun more